ROBINS AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. (AFMCNS) -- Nearly 20 years ago when Ida Glover asked her 40-year-old son a question and he couldn't respond, she thought he had suffered some type of nerve damage - but days later she discovered his prognosis was much worse.

Doctors at the Medical Center of Central Georgia told Ms. Glover her son, Mr. Carey Glover, a retired Sailor, had experienced two strokes, which left him speechless and partially paralyzed.

Ms. Glover said her son is able to communicate with physical gestures and do some things for himself. But, she must help him with other day-to-day activities.

"It kind of just sneaks up on you," said Ms. Glover, who has four other adult children. "I hadn't known anybody who had a stroke, so I didn't know what to do."

The Georgia native isn't alone.

Strokes occur when blood flow to part of the brain is interrupted - commonly called a 'brain attack' by many doctors.

According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, about 700,000 people have strokes each year.

Dr. Chrystal Henderson, 78th Medical Group's medical staff chief, said that by asking a few questions and responding quickly people can make a life-saving difference.

Ask the person to smile.

Ask the person to raise both arms.

Ask the person to speak a simple sentence, such as, 'It is sunny outside today.'

If the person has trouble doing any of these tasks you should take him or her to an emergency facility immediately, Dr. Henderson said.

Lt. Col. Chris Thompson, a cardiology consultant for the U.S. Air Force Surgeon General, said the assessment questions are good for people to use.

"Depending upon the part of the brain affected, the symptoms can affect any part of the brain function to include movement, sensation, talking, the senses, balance, etc.," he said.

Col. Vincent Carr, chief consultant for Internal Medicine Services at Bolling Air Force Base, Washington D.C., said prompt medical response to a stroke may make a difference.

"There are a number of new techniques and medications to stop a stroke in progress," he said. "But the success is based upon how quickly a person gets to an emergency room."

Getting stroke patients medical attention within the first three hours of the incident is important for a more successful recovery. However, prevention is a much better approach, Colonel Thompson said

"Prevention of atherosclerosis, which causes most heart attacks and strokes, involves a healthy diet, exercise, maintaining an ideal weight, not smoking and treatment of high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and diabetes," the colonel said.

Ms. Glover said she wishes she had known about the simple diagnostic test before it was too late.

"If I would've known and he could've seen a doctor sooner, he might have been able to talk by now."